Category Archives: The Features

These are our features. They come back either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Sleigh Bells @ 9:30 Club — 3/27/12

Photo courtesy of Sup3r_Fudg3
Sleigh Bells
courtesy of Sup3r_Fudg3

There are an amazing number of things that Sleigh Bells does right.

When it works properly, the team effort of one male and one female often garners mass appeal through the use of their exclusive strengths. With Sleigh Bells, the Brooklyn-based duo has a formula to do just that. Alexis Krauss’ breathy sweet vocals float over Derek Edward Miller’s heavy guitar. It’s a winning combination in part because both play well to sexual archetypes. Krauss is punk-rock sexy and Miller is loud and cocky.

To add to the appeal, the simplicity of their chemistry is most often distilled into 3-minute rock songs. Their set Tuesday night at the 9:30 Club was pretty short. They played for about 30 minutes and then tacked on an encore that came so quickly that some in the audience didn’t realize that it was in fact an encore. But Sleigh Bells is a band with two albums — and touring in support of their second album Reign of Terror — and each album has 11 songs where a 3-minute song could be a longer one.

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The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
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The Big Dance Hits DC Theatre With Monologue Madness

This weekend a beleaguered tournament will come to an end where only one will walk away with the title of champion.

Of course I’m not talking about the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament- that game is on Monday.

Up in Bethesda this Sunday a different kind of competition will unfold where 32 actors will only have 60 seconds to prove they are worthy to of the title of Monologue Madness Champion.

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Food and Drink, Homebrewing, The Features
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Homebrew DC: Kölsch, Springtime’s True Delight

Photo courtesy of ilovebutter
Adding the hops
courtesy of ilovebutter

This is the second in a series of articles about homebrewing in the DC area by Carl Weaver of RealHomebrew.com. Want to learn about making your own beer? Keep an eye out for Friday homebrew features.

Now that springtime is upon us, it’s time to start drinking like it. I brought this beer to fellow We Love DC authors Tom and Tiff’s house recently for a barbecue and it was met with a standing ovation. Well, most people were standing anyway, and truthfully there was no real ovation, but people expressed their desire to have more by, well, having more. Another almost-empty keg…

A Kölsch is an ale that is light, crisp, and great to drink. I think of a kölsch as a great springtime drink, cool and refreshing, clear, malty, and with a definite but not overpowering hoppy flavor. This is a pretty simple homebrew recipe, using some grains, but relying mostly on malt extracts. It’ll make you the popular house on the block on those warm spring nights. Continue reading →

Cherry Blossom Festival, Entertainment, Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
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This Saturday: Samurai Cinema Triple Feature!

Photo courtesy National Geographic

Want something a little different to make this year’s cherry blossom visit truly magnificent? How about a great samurai triple feature?  The National Geographic Museum will be presenting three classics of Japanese cinema, all featuring the iconic Toshiro Mifune and presented in stunning 35mm! Presented in conjunction with the National Geographic Museum exhibition Samurai: The Warrior Transformed, the films will be introduced by Michael Jeck, veteran film programmer notable for commentary on Criterion DVD releases of Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood.

Admission to each film is $5, though you can see them for free with paid admission to the new samurai exhibit. (The offer is valid only for exhibit tickets purchased for Saturday, 3/31; there are a limited number of tickets available.) Warning—these films all have some pretty violent content. Film details after the jump. Continue reading →

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: March 30-April 1

Photo courtesy of Tony DeFilippo
Getting into the Holiday Spirit
courtesy of Tony DeFilippo

Carl: My general plans include racking the Pirate’s Ale into a secondary fermenter and doing the final calculations and ingredients list for a pilsner using an ale yeast. If you are a beer nut like I am, you know that is totally nuts. It’s not as nuts as cannibalism resulting from cabin fever, but still – it’s damned crazy. I was invited to give a talk Saturday morning at a Masonic lodge about The Book of Ruth, of all subjects, so I will be doing that as well, and then having dinner with Beautiful Girlfriend and her friends I have not yet met. Good times will prevail.

Photo courtesy of mosley.brian
09 Kite Festival – Free as the Wind – 3-28-09
courtesy of mosley.brian

Mosley. Annoyingly, I’m not in town this weekend due to a business trip. It’s annoying because I’m missing one of my favorite events of the year: the annual Kite Festival at the foot of the Washington Monument. I love it because of the pictures I get; the sight of hundreds of kites in the air; even the Bubble Wright is awesome! It’s a truely DC event and I recommend everyone goes to it. If you’ve never gone, please go for me and have a great time. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, We Love Food
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We Love Food: Adour’s New Lunch Menu

Amuse-bouches All photos by the author

Capitalizing on his new cookbook Nature, as well as an economy in the early stages of recovery, Chef Alain Ducasse is launching a new lunch program at Adour at the St. Regis hotel. I was invited to attend a preview of the new “simple, healthy, and delicious” lunch menu hosted by the chef himself. Having enjoyed one of the best meals of my life at another of his restaurants, I jumped at the chance.
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Downtown, Entertainment, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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National Geographic Live: April 2012

Photo courtesy National Geographic

April looms large in front of us and so does a beautiful spring. While tourists flood the Tidal Basin, why not check out the April programming for National Geographic Live? The National Geographic Museum is offering WeLoveDC readers a chance to enjoy one of their premier events in the coming month. We’re giving away two pairs of tickets to readers this Friday; look through the great programs listed below and pick two you’d like to attend. In the comment field, simply enter your choices. (Make sure you use your first name and a valid email address!) Winners for April will be chosen at random after noon on March 30.

All programs (unless otherwise noted) take place in Grosvenor Auditorium at 1600 M Street, NW. Tickets may be purchased online at www.nglive.org, via telephone at (202) 857-7700, or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 am and 5 pm. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for all weekday programs that begin after 6 pm. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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2012 Washington Nationals Season in Preview

Photo courtesy of Max Cook
Zimmerman Wins It
courtesy of Max Cook

In a week and a day Stephen Strasburg will take the mound at Wrigley Field as the Washington Nationals begin their quest to have the most successful season in franchise history against the Chicago Cubs. Everyone has expectations and if we listen to Davey Johnson, Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen, and a few other Nationals then those expectations are for the playoffs. The big question is clear: is that is realistic? On paper, the Nationals have one of the better pitching staffs in the NL, and one of the weaker offenses. That formula has worked before, but can it work for the 2012 squad at Nats Park?

This past off-season, Mike Rizzo added Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson while Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann look to give the team more innings. Add this all up and it puts the Nats in a position they are unfamiliar with. This is a team after all whose last three Opening Day starters were Livan Hernandez, John Lannan (twice), and Odalis Perez. John Lannan is now opening the season as the fifth starter due to an injury to Chien-Ming Wang, Livan Hernandez is on the Astros, and Odalis Perez was last seen headed for parts unknown.

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Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Thomas Dolby @ The Birchmere — 3/25/12 (or “Yes, He Blinded Me With Science”)

Photo courtesy of randomduck
Hands flying
courtesy of randomduck

Thomas Dolby’s fifth studio album, A Map of the Floating City, came out last year and it was somewhat appropriately named as you practically require a map to assess all of the influences that go into Mr. Dolby’s musical compositions these days — from blues to jazz to calypso to zydeco. He passed through the DC metro area Sunday night in support of the album in a tour that gives one an opportunity to reflect on his strengths and weaknesses over the years.

A Map of the Floating City is Dolby’s first album in 20 years, so some growth and divergence in his sound is expected. Not surprisingly, as an older artist, he is much more sedate in his composition and performance. With his first two magnificent albums — The Golden Age of Wireless and The Flat Earth — Dolby was associated with the subgenre of music then identified as New Pop. It was bombastic and heavy on synthesizers, having grown out of the pure synth arias of the New Romantics. Producer Trevor Horn championed New Pop and his label ZTT Records supported the likes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Grace Jones.

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Monumental
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National Cathedral Tower Climb

Photo courtesy of mosley.brian
National Cathedral – Tower Climb – Narrow Staircase – 03-24-12
courtesy of mosley.brian

This weekend the National Cathedral reopened their central tower for the first time since the August earthquake, and Brian and I were there to climb it. Saturday’s dreary weather meant you could see clouds passing through the windows at the top; still, it’s the highest point in DC, the bells can ring in any weather, and even in the fog the views are exquisite.

First things first: This is not the tour for you if you’re claustrophobic or afraid of heights. The first half of the climb takes you up narrow winding passages, and because of people stopping in front, you might end up stranded in tight places for a bit. The last third of the climb takes you up an open spiral staircase that wobbles as you walk. In other words, don’t test your fears this way. That’s what trapeze school is for.

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Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

adjourned
adjourned
courtesy of theupper

Sometimes the best thing to take a picture of is the space around the main object. This concept is called negative space. Take theupper’s picture above: the perfect silhouette of the Capitol Dome and the Statue of Freedom is framed wonderfully by the sky. The streaks of clouds, hinted with the pink of sunset or sunrise, complement the multiple blues of the sky. An all around excellent shot.

Cherry Blossom Festival, Special Events, The Features
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Cherry Blossom Festival 2012: Week 1 Highlights

Photo courtesy of Pianoman75
Meta blossoms
courtesy of Pianoman75

While the peak bloom time of the area cherry blossoms has passed, the Centennial Celebration hasn’t! Officially kicked off last night, the National Cherry Blossom Festival begins in earnest this week.

Here are some of the highlight events happening over the next several days; many exhibitions and events are ongoing through the spring.
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Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 3/23-3/25

Photo courtesy of Vileinist
Man in the Moon
courtesy of Vileinist

Well, we can’t have perfect weather all the time, can we? And from the sound of it, Monday night is going to be cold. Not all that surprising; winter never goes down without one last fight. However, with weather like this, I’ve always thought the old saying that “March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb” is backwards.

Anyways, our loyal photographs were out in force all the same, and they got some great shots. Sit back, warm up with a hot beverage, and keep Monday morning at bay for just a little longer. Continue reading →

Capital Chefs, Food and Drink
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Capital Brewers: Bill Butcher of Port City

Port City Brewing Company #14
Photo courtesy of Hans Bruesch

Tucked away in an unassuming former building supply warehouse in an Alexandria industrial park, a pineapple – a symbol of American hospitality since the colonial era – perches on the sign advertising Port City Brewery, one of several local breweries that have cropped up in the DC area over the last few years. As it turned out, the advertising is correct, and we were warmly welcomed into the brewery by its founder and owner, Bill Butcher.
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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: March 23-25

Photo courtesy of tedeytan
Adams Morgan Neighborhood 8738
courtesy of tedeytan

Tom: I will be spending my weekend in scenic Indianapolis rooting on the swimming & diving team of my alma mater Denison University as part of Division III Nationals. Go Big Red! Of course, were I here, I’d be walking up the stairs of the central tower of the National Cathedral Saturday to get a look at the amazing view. It’s the first time the tower’s been open since this summer’s quake. There’s also the 13th Street Meats sale on Saturday at Pharmacy Bar in Adams Morgan going on, and really, you can’t go wrong with any of their delicious offerings. Sunday I’ll be back in time for the annual fantasy draft of the District Ruffians baseball league at Ragtime. Here’s to hoping I don’t screw up the first pick of the draft. Wonder who I should take with that pick. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Photo courtesy of kimberlyfaye
(134/365)
courtesy of kimberlyfaye

Carl: I will be finishing up some photography work for a repeat client on Saturday, and then will try to see my old friend Jason for a tipple or two in the afternoon. On Sunday I will probably go to the homebrew store and get ingredients to make another beer. The Pirate’s Ale is bubbling away and I need to get another brew started that has been commissioned for a party in May. A brewer’s work is never done!

Photo courtesy of Mr. T in DC
Cherry Blossoms by Bikeshare
courtesy of Mr. T in DC

Mosley: Friday night I have a photo talk I’m going to at the National Press Club: Lynn Abercrombie, wife of the late National Geographic photographer Tom Abercrombie, about her new book about traveling the world.  Saturday I’m hoping to go to the National Cathedral and climb the central tower; never done it before and I’m looking forward to the view, both of the city and the Cathedral.  Sunday I’m going to the opening ceremonies for the Nation Cherry Blossom Festival at the Convention Center; should be fun.

Photo courtesy of Hooligan Abby
Street Dogs
courtesy of Hooligan Abby

Rachel: I’ve been waiting for this weekend for far too long. It’s SHAMROCK FEST at RFK on Saturday and I’m pumped. While the musical line up sounds decent, I admit my friends and I are going for the sheer enjoyment of playing flip cup and beer pong with strangers in a giant parking lot. That might make us immature but I choose to think of it as a good, old fashioned college flashback.

Photo courtesy of Michael T. Ruhl
Scaffolding
courtesy of Michael T. Ruhl

Joanna: It will be hard to resist watching basketball all weekend long. However, I’ll be taking breaks to see Ah, Wilderness! at Arena Stage and climb the central tower of the National Cathedral – a first time opportunity since the earthquake! Sadly I also have some work to catch up on, so if the weather’s nice I’ll be using my full punch card for a free drink outside at Northside Social. Sunday I’m supposed to welcome a friend back from Israel by biking down to visit Mt. Vernon, which really makes no sense whatsoever but should be fun. And of course, basketball. At this point, it’s all about which teams I want to lose rather than the ones I want to win.

Photo courtesy of Echo Valley Ranch (www.evranch.com)
Baan Thai Spa
courtesy of Echo Valley Ranch (www.evranch.com)

Rebecca: The boyfriend is out of town for the weekend, which means it’s a girlie weekend. Friday I’ll be having a some Cherry Blossom inspired drinks with my ladies out on the back patio deck at Old Glory in Georgetown. Saturday I’m headed to the Create and Barrel outlet in Alexandria and West Elm in Georgetown for an apartment decorating shopping fest with my sister. I’m looking for stuff on sale that I can used to add a little color splash and pizazz. Saturday afternoon I’ll be getting my garden even more in order with planting of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and some much need tilling. Sunday morning it’s the beginning of soccer season so I’ll be gasping for breathe and hoping to catch my wind in the AM, followed by a visit to Spa World to soak in hot tubs, get a body scrub and sweat it out in various relaxation rooms.

photo.JPG

Don: My weekend is largely going to revolve around following around a nice but somewhat dim creature and trying to prevent random chewing and indoor defecation. Then, if I have time left after Tom and I are done hanging out, I’ll probably spend some time with our new puppy. He’s a rescue from the local operation Lost Dog Rescue; not the only way we could have gone but we found them to be most easy to work with when it came to finding a match who wouldn’t bother my darling wife’s allergies. Sadly we’re not going to get to check out the area’s multiple dog parks yet; little Casey isn’t old enough for his parvo innoculations to have fully taken root yet, making it important to keep him away from older dogs and places where the very hardy and long-lived virus can be hanging out.

Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Kasabian @ 9:30 Club — 3/20/12

Photo courtesy of stusev
Kasabian @ McCallum Park (5/2/2012)
courtesy of stusev

Kasabian are a great show band. They show well. They perform well. They look like great rock superstars. And they pretty much rocked down the 9:30 Club Tuesday night in a stellar display of musical muscle, also sounding, not just looking, like space rock deities.

Perhaps the most impressive characteristic of Kasabian is that they seamlessly utilize all six of their members. In other cases, I have found more band members to distract from concert performances, but with Kasabian, everything flowed and everyone had a function. The band made impressively versatile use of its two vocalists — Tom Meighan and Sergio Pizzorno. Meighan appeared as an earnest, sincere singer putting his heart and soul on display in songs of lost love and dogged determination. Pizzorno growls and howls a bit more like a long-haired rock icon as he pounds on his guitar. The effect is not dissimilar than watching a young Mick Jagger and Keith Richards team up and trade off.

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The Features
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King Me: An Interview with Laura Elkins

KING ME, Studies in the Uncivilized World, Installation View. Photo courtesy The Fridge.

Tucked back in an alley off of 8th Street in Eastern Market, The Fridge is an unimposing gallery space; and perhaps it’s that quiet intimacy that makes it such an interesting location for KING ME: Studies in the Uncivilized World – a show about authority and domination.

Showcasing works by DC artists, KING ME is at once political and quirky. It deals with power struggles over everything from gay marriage to consumerism and uses a variety of media, including thread, film, acrylic, and Tyvek.

Highlights include Seleshi Feseha’s obsessively-crafted thread collages, Stanley Squirewell’s striking use of mixed media, and numerous pieces by Laura Elkins, whose first lady self-portraits particularly stand out.

I sat down with Elkins to talk about some of her work on display at KING ME, and the inspiration behind it.

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We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Brother Russia

Photos by Scott Suchman.
Grigori (Doug Kreeger, holding basket) is happily greeted by a group of strangers for his healing powers.
Pictured left to right: Stephen Gregory Smith, Erin Driscoll, Russell Sunday, Rachel Zampelli.

Signature Theater’s Brother Russia is a pleasant enough musical, combining a talented cast, some catchy songs, and beautiful and clever staging. But the end result of turning the corrupt Mad Monk into a (sort of) redemptive and (very vaguely) redeemed mystic figure is odd and unsatisfying. It’s not the oddest use ever of Grigori Rasputin by a long shot, but the story doesn’t live up to the music and the production.

Brother Russia is framed as a more-or-less contemporary story of a decrepit Russian traveling theater/carnival who are themselves telling the story of Rasputin. Or Rasputin’s story as their troop leader claims it happened, which he’d know if indeed he himself is Grigori Rasputin as he claims. Confused yet? It’s less convoluted as acted out upon the stage… within the stage… but the story’s attempt to tell a wild fable and justify it as a modified oral history is undercut by its own staging. Certain choices near the end make a firm assertion that the story, impossible as it is, is literal truth. There’s even a twist/connection that a late-career M. Night Shyamalan might come up with.

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Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Features
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Cooking Classes Around DC

Photo courtesy of Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie
Evening Star #9
courtesy of Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie

So you’re not exactly Martha Stewart or Jacques Pepin in the kitchen–you can’t make a perfect omelet and maybe you’ve set off the smoke detector once or twice. Lucky for you there are a bunch of chefs and cooking classes coming up around the city that can teach you how to properly slice, dice, sauté and maybe even en flambé without burning down the house or losing a finger. So don’t be timid about hosting the next dinner party or simple wine and cheese night–these classes (including a bunch coming up this weekend) have got you covered.
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Sports Fix, The Features
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2012: A Year of Growth for the Washington Nationals

Photo by Rachel Levitin

2012 is upon us – as is the start of the Major League Baseball season – and the Washington Nationals are a team on the minds of many.

Last week I found myself at Reagan National Airport talking baseball during the Harvard-Vanderbilt March Madness game. During that game, I discovered a strange truth: a DC-based Cardinals fan told me, flat-out, that he was more excited to watch the Nats this year than his beloved Midwestern red birds. At first I thought this guy was a fluke of nature but upon further review I realized he wasn’t.

There was a piece in Chicago Magazine this week that brought up the topic as well:

“I’d rather root for the Royals, Nationals, or Marlins this year than the Cubs or Sox. Those teams have new players worth watching, some works in progress that should be interesting to follow.”

While it’s important to remember how poor the Chicago baseball clubs are likely to perform this season, the quote also sheds light on how baseball fans outside of DC view the Nats. At the risk of sounding cliché, 2012 is a good year (if not the best thus far) to be a Nats fan.

That, of course, is the optimistic route to choose.  Continue reading →